Rescue Failed, The Troll Seems To Be A Little Dead

After a deafening explosion, a large crater now marred the floor of this underground classroom.

As it turned out, a well-aimed spell of appropriate power could actually feel quite pleasant.

Look—the Troll, which had been so violent moments ago, had closed its eyes and curled up meekly and gently inside the pit...

Harry and Ron stood at the doorway, wands raised, staring wide-eyed at everything that had just happened inside the room.

Finally, it was Hermione who spoke first.

"Is it... dead?" she asked, her breath a little short.

"Not yet." Glenn flicked his wand and tucked it back into his sleeve.

"Just unconscious."

Even without armor or the like, the Troll's thick hide made actually killing it no simple task.

"Though a few more rounds should do the trick." Glenn smiled at the three Gryffindors by the door.

But that wasn't really necessary—after all, it was school property.

"By the way, was there something you needed from me?"

After the shock, Harry snapped back to reality. "Ah, well... we came to warn you that there was a Troll in the underground classroom..."

But looking at the fallen Troll, then at Glenn, completely unharmed, he suddenly realized how awkward that sounded.

Maybe warning the Troll that Glenn was in the underground classroom would have been more appropriate.

Hermione, meanwhile, hurried forward, circled around Glenn once, and only after confirming he was truly unharmed—

Did the high-hanging heart finally drop.

Nothing was more exhilarating than surviving a disaster, even if the one who went through it wasn't you.

So much so that she got a little carried away and gave Glenn a hug.

"Miss Granger, you're choking me," Glenn said in a teasing tone.

Hearing that, Hermione realized she'd overstepped, blushed slightly, and let go, stepping back.

But before she could apologize, Glenn smiled and said instead, "Though I'm glad you've recovered your spirits."

At that, Hermione paused, then nodded back with a smile.

Even someone more Ravenclaw than Ravenclaw had to admit that, beyond the sea of books, a little adventure could stir the heart and lift the spirits.

After the fright, Ron stepped forward, pinched his nose, but couldn't help curiously eyeing the massive creature on the ground.

"Merlin's beard, it's a real Troll. I've only ever heard Fred and George talk about them..."

Once they were sure it was safe, the kids—none of whom had ever seen a Troll before—held their breath and took a closer look.

After half a minute of observation, their unanimous conclusion was—it was really ugly!

"I think we should report this to the professors right now. They'll surely—" Hermione didn't finish before a heavy, rapid stomping echoed from outside the classroom door.

Only then did they realize just how loud the commotion had been. Someone upstairs or downstairs must have heard the violent crashes and the Troll's roars.

Moments later, Professor McGonagall burst into the room, followed closely by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear.

All three held their wands, ready for battle at a moment's notice.

Professor McGonagall's face was pale, her eyes clouded with an unshakable gloom.

Just moments ago, she had been searching for the Troll downstairs when she heard a sound like an earthquake.

In that instant, she knew this was no ordinary Troll—it called for heavy punches... ahem, powerful magic.

But at the same time, McGonagall realized the Troll had likely attacked some disobedient student with no combat experience—because other professors would call for backup when encountering a Troll, not choose to fight alone.

Not that the professors lacked the ability to handle a Troll, but if they could gang up on it, they wouldn't risk going solo.

Realizing this, she had practically flown to the underground classroom where the sound came from.

"Children, get out of here now! Leave the Troll to—"

Facing the students' astonished gazes, McGonagall clearly saw the creature lying in the pit on the floor—the Troll looked a little dead.

Seeing this, Quirrell let out a feeble sob, clutching his chest as if he, too, was weeping for joy that the students were safe.

Snape, on the other hand, remained far more composed. His expression unchanged, he merely swept his gaze over the students in the room, then bent down to examine the Troll.

"Unconscious, but badly injured."

Professor McGonagall showed no sign of relief at this news. On the contrary, her lips were bloodless, and her face bore an anger the likes of which Harry and the others had never seen.

"What in the name of Merlin are you playing at?" Her voice carried a cold fury.

"You're lucky it didn't kill you this time, but why weren't you staying in your dormitories? I want an explanation."

As Professor McGonagall finished speaking, Snape straightened up and scanned the students in the room.

One Slytherin, three Gryffindors... Finally, he shot Harry a piercing glare.

But then, from the shadows, a timid voice spoke up.

"Please don't, Professor McGonagall—they were looking for me."

Everyone's eyes turned to Hermione, her head bowed.

She was trembling, but there was no wavering in her voice.

If not for her own emotional outburst, then Glenn wouldn't be here, and even if the Troll had been wandering around the dungeon, it never would have come to this—Hermione believed from the bottom of her heart that this accident was indeed her fault.

"I came looking for the Troll because I... I thought I could handle it alone... You know, because I've read about them in books, I know a lot about them." She told the professors a massive lie.

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead by now..."

She was going to take full blame for everything!

The person least likely to break school rules had lied about breaking them just to get them out of trouble!

Harry and Ron couldn't believe it, so much so that they momentarily forgot they were still being scolded by the professors.

"Oh—if that's the case..." Professor McGonagall looked at them, pondering. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think you could handle a mountain-sized Troll all by yourself?"

Hermione hung her head, unable to speak a word.

And just as the atmosphere grew even more serious, Glenn's voice rang out in the classroom.

"So, this Troll wasn't prepared for the Sorting Ceremony?"